I was given a double blessing in one day – two nominations for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award!! I’m so very honored, flattered, humbled, and just smiling away over here!

When I began this blogging journey I had absolutely no idea how amazing, wonderful, fulfilling, rewarding, healing, illuminating, inspiring, and encouraging it would be to me! I feel doubly blessed to receive these two awards for TheVery Inspiring Blogger — that I could come to mind for this award is like a humongous gift to me that I cherish completely!

I would like to thank George at www.georgehayward.wordpress.comfor the first nomination and Penny atwww.thewhyaboutthis.comfor the second. Each of these blogs is so chock full of Ah-mazing posts…you will not regret checking them out! I guarantee you will be hooked and want to follow! :)

Please know I am extremely honored that you both would choose me for this. If I’ve managed to inspire anyone….then I am a very very happy girl!! :D

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Now for the RULES to follow when nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.

2. Link back to the person who nominated you.

3. State 7 things about yourself.

4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them.

5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

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Let’s see…7 things about me….

I love Jane Austen – have read all her books and seen the movies. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite movie (A&E version with Colin Firth) but the newest release of Emma with Romola Garai by PBS Masterpiece is a close running second!

I’m a wannabe techno-goob who plans on learning CSS!! This is gonna be fun! If my blog looks funny in the coming days you’ll know why! :p

I homeschooled my 3 kids until this last school year (10 years total).

If you haven’t read my first post – I have 3 amazing kids – 18 year old daughter, 12 year old son and 10 year old daughter.

Every year on the day after Thanksgiving we have “Jamma Day” The rule of Jamma Day is to be as least productive as possible! With lots of leftovers from the day before we get to just relax, play games/video games, and watch movies. It is a cherished tradition began in 1998 – my husband (before he passed) and I created to purposely avoid Black Friday sales.

I want to learn how to be a better photographer…travel with my kids and take awesome pictures – And then blog about it of course! ;)

I stopped homeschooling in order to get a job (being now the sole provider). We were interrupted in many things with the fight for our home these past two years (see first post if you want to know more). Still searching while I try to figure out what career I will choose, preferably one from home – I want to be here for my kids as much as I can! :)

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And now for the nominees I’ve chosen for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award – Do check them out if you get a chance! Each one has inspired me in so many ways I had to share this with them! :)

I have been so deeply moved the past few days by reading other blogs and posts that some might find sad or melancholy…to me I found myself. I found a connection to others in that deep dark place that only people who have had or are going through tragedy can truly relate to. No one can know…each is a unique story.

Perhaps it isn’t just that they’re are going through or have gone through tragedy but are in touch with it nonetheless. The truth of it is…it is success to me. If you can write words and arrange them in such a manner as to evoke a feeling, good, bad, sad, or otherwise then you have made a connection with someone…with any one who reads your words.

We each are unique and have our own story to tell. And we each have our own way to tell it…poems, photographs, quotes, funny stories or whimsical ones that make you smile or laugh…or be sad and cry…or really think about how a particular piece means to you…it becomes part of you now.

They each serve their purpose…our blog is our home. Our own little piece of this internet cosmos and it moves in ever widening, ever increasing, circles of friends and connections to others…some we are blessed to interact with, some we never hear about but could have made all the difference in the world for without ever knowing. It is important…vital, to write or show through photographs what we see, feel, and think…regardless of the emotional response.

We are all healing, rediscovering, sharing, connecting…

and because each voice is unique and touches others then we are by the definition above…Successful.

I have recently been doubly honored in receiving my second “One Lovely Blog Award” from danblava at hurdlestohappiness. Thank you so much!!

(See below for the rules and nominations for the One Lovely Blog Award)

Also from Michelle at michellesomer.wordpress.com– I have been honored with the “Creative Chaos Award” Thank you so much to both of you for keeping me in your thoughts for these awards!! I am so very appreciative!

(See below for the rules and nominations for the Creative Chaos Award)

One Lovely Blog Award ~

1) I need to thank the person who nominated me.

2) Share 7 things about myself that you still may not know.

3) Nominate 15 bloggers.

4) Notify the nominees that I have done so.

5) Put a logo of the award on my site.

I already shared 7 things – but I’ll share another 7 things you may not know about me…

1) I love to knit – when I have the time…it’s very relaxing…like therapy.

2) I really really love to play video games, with my kids or my friends!

3) I drive an old ’93 Suburban and I love it – Respect on the road!

4) I named my dog (Pomeranian) Dante not just for the author but also because I love the movie Dante’s Peak.

Dante ~

5) I love destruction of the earth movies like 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, and more – not sure why…maybe because they are so unrealistic (not the graphics-the storylines) and I’ve had my fair share of ‘reality’.

6) I never want to mow the lawn (it’s big) but always LOVE the feeling of accomplishment when I’m done!

7) Ok, ok, ok….so more information on the video game thing. My best friend and I often play Rock Band 3 (I’m the drummer) – It is a most cherished time to relax, be silly, laugh, and pretend we’re rock stars!

And now my nominees for the One Lovely Blog Award – Visit them if you get the chance! :)

2) I love naming my animals’ weird names – i.e. my orange cat is named Julius, and my oldest female cat is named Sawyer – her brother who is no longer with us was named Thomas.

3) I love the colors black and purple (but not together!)

2) Are you a glass half empty or a glass half full kind of person?

Most definitely a glass half full kind of person. I believe that I can find a positive in just about every negative situation. I may rant a bit…but then I just have to find something to laugh or joke about. Sometimes, I wonder where the glass is, as I am convinced someone moved it!

3) You find yourself in a desolate place when your car breaks down. You have no cell phone service, no Wal-Mart, and only a candy bar for food. It is 150 miles to the closest town. What color are your underpants and why?

Since this is probably THE most bizarre question I’ve ever been asked I will answer bizarrely in return – Purple – because aliens don’t wear hats. ;)

4) And the last task is to nominate 5 bloggers who have recently started following you.

Like this:

~“Some people create their own storms and then complain when it rains” ~

You don’t understand why I’m angry…

You say you’re the one who is angry…

I’m not surprised…

Let me tell you a story…

Half of me died that day…

You thought only of you…

Your needs, your loss, your grief…

I thought of you and your loss…

I made myself forget…

You decided what, how, and when things should happen for me and my children’s lives without reference to me…

I thought of you and your loss…

I made myself forget…

You were so focused on what was bearing down on you that you couldn’t empathize with anything or anyone but you and your needs…

You said you cared but every action showed otherwise…

I thought of you and your loss…

I made myself forget…

You hurt my children…one walked forever away from you…

You made excuses to cover every hurtful action…

I thought of you and your loss…

I made myself forget…

You ripped the rug out from under us so many times…tore down this family with your own hands…ripped us apart again and again and again with so much judgment, more and more expectation, stress, grief, and extreme hurt…

You thought only of you, your needs, who would take care of you, who would take care of your burdens…

You laid your burdens on my shoulders…

You expected more from me then you ever did from him…

I thought of your loss…

I made myself forget…

You finally stepped so far over the line… there is no going back…the ultimate cruelty to a family so torn up and shredded, not only by grief but also by you and your actions for your self preservation…

So many hurtful actions…that your loving words faded into nothingness…

I honored your burdens, the ones you place on my shoulders at the darkest/hardest/saddest time of my life…